Performance Review Checklist (Accounting Staff)

Pull a sample of AJEs the staff member booked over the last two quarters. Look for accrual vs. cash treatment, proper period cutoff, and supporting workpaper references in the memo field. Flag any entries booked directly to retained earnings without explanation.

Pick three to five recent lead schedules — bank rec, A/R aging tie-out, fixed-asset roll-forward — and confirm they tie to the trial balance. Check footing, cross-references, and that reconciling items over $1,000 are documented and aged.

Evaluate fluency in the firm's primary stack — QBO, Xero, Sage Intacct, NetSuite, or UltraTax / Lacerte for tax-side staff. For Excel, look at PivotTables, XLOOKUP/INDEX-MATCH, and whether they're hand-keying numbers that should be linked.

For client engagements the staff member owns, calculate days-to-close from period-end through partner sign-off. Compare against the firm's standard (typically 8-10 business days for SMB monthly close). Note any clients consistently slipping past target.

Pull realization from Karbon, TaxDome, or the firm's practice-management tool. Look at chargeable-hour utilization and realization on fixed-fee engagements. Scope-creep absorption is a common reason a strong technician shows weak realization.

Review the Mar 15 / Apr 15 / Oct 15 deadlines specifically. Did returns get filed timely? Did extensions get filed when needed? How did the staff member triage when three clients hit the same week?

Pull recent emails, Liscio threads, or portal messages. Look for plain-language explanations of technical issues — does the staff member translate "basis adjustment" into language a non-financial owner understands? Check tone on PBC follow-ups and overdue-receivable nudges.

Solicit input from two to three peers and at least one partner the staff member supports. Cover review-note turnaround, willingness to ask questions, and handoff quality between tax and audit teams.

Look at the review-note cycle on a recent compilation or review engagement. Are notes being closed on first pass, or are reviewers re-opening the same notes? Repeat-offender review notes are a coaching signal.

Pick a recent bank rec or sub-ledger tie-out where something didn't tie. Did the staff member trace it themselves to the misposted JE, or did they kick it upstairs? Self-resolution at the staff level is the goal; partner escalation only when truly stuck.

Pull the management commentary from the last few monthly close packages. Look for explanations of top P&L variances grounded in business drivers, not boilerplate ("revenue down due to lower sales"). Strong commentary names the customer or product line.

Walk through a recent non-routine event — an ERC claim, a state nexus question, an S-corp basis tracking gap, or a sales-tax voluntary disclosure. Assess research approach (Checkpoint, RIA, AICPA library) and whether the conclusion was supported with cited authority.

Most state boards require 40 CPE hours annually with a specified ethics component (often 2-4 hours). Confirm certificates are on file and the staff member is on track for the reporting period. CPE shortfalls discovered at year-end are a license risk.

For candidates working through the CPA exam (FAR, REG, AUD, BEC/ISC/TCP) or the SEE for EA, confirm sections passed, sections scheduled, and whether firm exam-leave or reimbursement policy is being used. Stalled candidacies are a retention risk.

Identify two to three stretch areas — leading a client onboarding, owning a 1065 with multiple K-1s, taking the first-pass review on staff workpapers. Tie each to a measurable outcome the staff member can point to at next year's review.

The IRS Pub 4557 / Pub 5708 WISP requires annual employee training and documented acknowledgment. Confirm the staff member completed this year's training and is using SmartVault, ShareFile, or the firm's portal for client documents — not personal email or USB drives.

If the staff works on review or compilation-with-assurance engagements under SSARS, confirm no bookkeeping or management-function services were performed for the same client. Cross-selling firms trip this most often. Document any identified threats and the safeguards applied.

Spot-check that SSNs aren't being emailed in plain text, that screen-lock is enabled on firm laptops, and that printed client documents are shredded rather than recycled. State breach-notification laws (MA, NY, CA, TX) trigger on lost laptops with unencrypted client data.

Pull ratings and notes from the prior sections into the firm's review template. Lead with two strengths and two development areas; close with the goals from the career-discussion step. Have the partner review the draft before the meeting.

Schedule 60 minutes, in person if possible, outside busy season. Walk the written review section by section. Capture the staff member's reactions and any factual disagreements in the notes field on the next step.

Lock the overall rating, document whether a formal improvement plan is required, and capture both reviewer and staff member acknowledgement. The staff member's signature acknowledges they received the review — not necessarily that they agree.

Coordinate with HR and the managing partner on PIP language. Specify measurable 30/60/90-day milestones tied to the deficiency areas (e.g., review-note close-rate, days-to-close on assigned clients, CPE hours). Schedule weekly check-ins.

Upload the signed review to the secure HR folder (BambooHR, Gusto, or the firm's HRIS). Update compensation-review tracking and the partner-track succession plan if applicable. Set the next review date.